Transparency and stakeholder engagement
We regularly engage with consumers, shareholders, employees, and members of wider society to understand the issues that matter to them most, and to meet their needs and expectations. This engagement is vital in helping us to make decisions that will drive long-term sustainability. Listed below are our key stakeholder groups and how we engage with them.
Customers and consumers
- Our sales force interacts with our retailers and consumers on a day-to-day basis to better understand their needs and preferences (e.g. visiting retailers, interactive sampling of new products where legally permitted, etc.)
- We respond to product and business enquiries from consumers through our consumer hotline service
- When it comes to developing our RRP (Reduced-Risk Products), we listen to what our consumers (The word, consumers, used in the context of the tobacco business means adult consumers. Minimum legal age for smoking varies in accordance with the legislation in each country.) want to make sure that we provide them with the widest range of quality products
Read more about how we engage with our consumers through the hot-line service, or about our products and services.
Shareholders
- We hold an annual general meeting every year and present our financial results to our shareholders
- We are in regular contact with institutional shareholders to discuss the issues of concern to them
Read more about how we engage with our shareholders.
Employees
- We conduct regular employee engagement surveys to understand how we can continuously improve employee satisfaction
- Our employees have regular opportunities to discuss their career aspirations through performance assessments
- Our Codes of Conduct are developed in collaboration with our employees, and concerns about violations can be shared with management anonymously through our Reporting Concerns Mechanism
- In our international tobacco business, our people celebrate their sustainability initiatives and share new ideas through our annual Sustainability Awards
Read more about how we engage with our employees or about our reporting concern mechanism.
Suppliers
- All of our suppliers are required to comply with our JT Group Supplier Standards and we select our suppliers not only based on quality, service, and cost, but also on their compliance with ESG related standards such as ensuring the health and safety of their employees. This is reflected in our JT Group Responsible Procurement Policy
- In our tobacco business, we support our growers through our Agricultural Labor Practices, which allows us and our suppliers to identify potential labor challenges on tobacco farms and help improve growers’ labor practices
- For our non-tobacco materials, we develop strong partnerships with our key suppliers in order to achieve mutual long-term success
Read more about how we engage with our suppliers.
Trade associations
- We engage with trade associations by participating in working groups and policy commissions in order to achieve a better business environment not only for us but also for other member companies
Communities
- We support the development of inclusive and sustainable societies by voluntarily engaging with charitable organizations in the communities where we operate
- We provide post-disaster support to local communities
Read more about how we engage with the communities in which we operate.
Non-governmental, regional, and international organizations
- We partner with non-governmental organizations and non-profit organizations to deliver our community investment programs
- We partner with organizations supporting the communities where we buy tobacco leaves
Read more about how we engage with the communities in which we operate, or with the tobacco leaf communities.
Governments and regulators
- We engage in open and transparent dialogues with governments and regulators regarding regulations affecting our business and society
- While engaging with regulators, we strictly comply with our anti-bribery policy which is embedded in our Codes of Conduct
- We will enhance our cooperation with governments to combat illegal trade